White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said on Wednesday that Pakistan's Army Chief, General Asim Munir, has called for US President Donald Trump to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
According to Kelly, Trump hosted Munir at the White House following his nomination pitch for the prestigious award. “Trump hosted Munir after he called for the president to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for preventing a nuclear war between India and Pakistan,” Kelly told reporters.
Trump said he was honored to meet General Munir and revealed they had also discussed Iran, a country he said Pakistan understands better than most. The president added that he had thanked Munir for helping end the conflict with India and praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with whom he said he spoke on Tuesday night.
“Two very smart people decided not to keep going with that war; that could have been a nuclear war,” Trump told reporters.
In a statement, Pakistan's military said the two leaders discussed trade, economic development, and cryptocurrency during their two-hour meeting. They also exchanged views on rising tensions between Israel and Iran.
"President Trump expressed keen interest in forging a mutually beneficial trade partnership with Pakistan based on long-term strategic convergence and shared interests," the army said.
Munir had been expected to press Trump not to enter Israel's war with Iran and seek a ceasefire, Pakistani officials and experts said. A section of Pakistan's embassy in Washington represents Iran's interests in the United States, as Tehran does not have diplomatic relations with the US.
Pakistan has condemned Israel's airstrikes against Iran, saying they violate international law and threaten regional stability.
Source: Reuters